Glassboro’s music scene, and by extension Rowan’s, is thriving, with a heavy focus on hardcore and punk music. In this sea of noisy guitar riffs and rapid drum beats, one band seems to stand out: Estrogents. 

They’ve played all over southern New Jersey, as well as parts of Pennsylvania, continuing to expand beyond their roots as a high school band born of boredom and into a serious live act with a solid recorded catalog. 

The band began in middle school with two members—Dee Philips and Grey Hobbs—but by high school, Jack Darischuk joined on lead guitar and vocals, and Mike Redd on rhythm guitar. 

For a time, they were The Stains, but other bands had taken that name beforehand, pushing them to change it.

“In the beginning of middle school, I was a vegetarian, so I was eating a lot of foods that were high in soy. Soy creates estrogen in the body, so that was a joke,” said Darischuk.

Their hometown, being quite rural, is deeply conservative, so the name, Estrogents, seeks to defy their town’s generally anti-LGBTQ atmosphere. Especially given their drummer is LGBTQ+. However, their lyrics aren’t often political. 

“All of our songs have a story,” said Darischuk.

Many of the songs concern silly high school adventures and everyday activities relatable to anyone. The band members remain consistently close friends, so lyrics often describe their personal lives. 

Early on, confined by skill, their music relied on whatever they could do with two chords. However, evolving as musicians, their sound evolved with them, and continues to do so as they rehearse, record, and tour. 

Their first album—released in 2021—contained relatively simplistic songwriting. However, new singles are more complex in their lyrical and musical themes, keeping their distorted punk sound, but deepening the lyrics, improving the production, and showcasing stronger instrumental skills. 

“What Grey has done with the lyrics is actually insane, and what I’ve done with my guitar parts is so much better than what it was,” Darischuk said.

Lately, while Hobbs still writes most of their lyrics, Darischuk’s played a bigger role in songwriting. 

The whole band works in tandem, collaborating wherever possible. 

“Like Dee will come up with a base part that works with a song. No matter what, he’s always locked in. Then Mike will play rhythm guitar, and he comes up with vocal harmonies that are so out of this world. All 4 of us work together,” Darischuk said.

While they continue to grow, the focus remains on the music. “I love music, it’s my entire life,” Darischuk said. 

They’re working on their next album, Chemical Burns, which will release sometime soon.

“Just keep your eyes peeled, because the album’s going to be releasing very soon,” Darischuk said.

“Jack is a Straight Edge Punk,” “Yadda Yadda,” and “AGE” are their latest singles. Each song echoes a variety of influences in punk and noise rock, outputting a violent yet melodic sound. 

They recently concluded a tour. Their latest show, played on Friday, Sept. 12, sold out quickly. 

They are taking a break from touring, but will return in October and November. 

Their music is available on a variety of streaming platforms, including Spotify and YouTube.

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